CORRECTS FROM CONNIE TO CATHERINE - Houston Police SWAT officer Daryl Hudeck carries Catherine Pham and her 13-month-old son Aiden after rescuing them from their home surrounded by floodwaters from Tropical Storm Harvey Sunday, Aug. 27, 2017, in Houston. The remnants of Hurricane Harvey sent devastating floods pouring into Houston Sunday as rising water chased thousands of people to rooftops or higher ground. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)
Team Clark is adamant that we will never write content influenced by or paid for by an advertiser. To support our work, we do make money from some links to companies and deals on our site. Learn more about our guarantee here.
The rain from Tropical Storm Harvey hasn’t even stopped falling yet, but we’re already getting word of a scam targeting victims of the storm.
KENS-TV in San Antonio reports that people should stop sharing a post on social media that reads, “The National Guard is being deployed to our Texas area. If you find yourself in a state of emergency. Call 1-800-527-3907. Please copy, paste or share!!!!!!!!!”
The number mentioned in the post, which has since gone viral, connects those in need of emergency assistance to an insurance group — not the National Guard.
Houston police reminded residents in a tweet to call 911 for life-threatening emergencies and use 311 or the non-emergency number 713-884-3131 when appropriate.
Unfortunately, we can only expect to hear about more scams in the days, weeks and months following the storm. Here are a few reminders from FEMA:
People nationwide may also receive disaster aid solicitations by phone, email, letter or even face-to-face. To avoid being ripped off, avoid newly formed groups. Donate to established charities instead!
You can research your favorite charities and learn how much of your donation will go to the intended purpose (compared to how much will go to overhead) at Give.org, CharityWatch.org and CharityNavigator.org.
Read more: Helping Texas storm victims: Make sure you know where your donation is going
[anvplayer video=”4118460″]
This post was last modified on September 11, 2017 2:32 pm
You walk into a Costco browsing for treasures and hoping to find some delicious free…
If you've been considering signing up for one of the Chase Sapphire credit cards, now…
The costs associated with owning a home go way beyond the amount on the mortgage. …
Inflation hits people on a fixed income the hardest. Say you're retired. You're living off…
Deciding to save and invest are great habits. But once you check that box, your…
If you're considering subscribing to Fubo, you need to be comfortable missing out on some…